Volz, Lauenstein lose council seats in Baltimore Co.

September 12, 1990|By Dennis O'Brien | Dennis O'Brien,Baltimore County Bureau of The Sun

Two Baltimore County Council members were upset last night in races that showed wide discontent in how the county is handling taxes and growth.

Donald Mason, 63, a retired Bethlehem Steel worker who led a Dundalk taxpayer revolt, rode a wave of public resentment over county spending policies to post a 2-1 margin of victory over Councilman Dale T. Volz in the 7th District.

Mr. Volz finished third among three candidates.

In another race, Vince Gardina, 34, decisively beat Norman Lauenstein, a four-term incumbent and the council's former chairman, in the Democratic race in the 5th District.

The two races focused on how residential growth and property taxes were affecting the county.

In another surprise, the majority leader of the House of Delegates, John S. Arnick, appeared to have been nosed out in an effort to retain one of three seats in the Dundalk-based 7th District. Mr. Arnick came in behind two incumbents, Louis L. DePazzo and Joseph J. Minnick, and challenger Connie Galiazzo.

In the 5th District County Council campaign, Mr. Gardina charged that residents in the district, which includes the booming community of Perry Hall, were losing out to the interests of developers.

Mr. Gardina, 34, a computer analyst for Bell Atlantic, said overdevelopment had overburdened the county's schools, highways and run up costs for services such as police and fire protection.

In the 7th District race, Mr. Mason, leader of Taxpayers for Government Efficiency, in recent years held seminars on the property tax assessment-appeal process and used the issue of rising property taxes to whip up support against Mr. Volz.

In another council race, Melvin Mintz, who represents a racially mixed 2nd District that includes Pikesville, Randallstown, Lochearn and Woodlawn, used his network of volunteers and history of constituent service to soundly defeat Harold G. Gordon, who sought to become the county's first black council member.

In the only Republican contest for the council, Douglas Riley, a Towson attorney, defeated three challengers in the 4th District that includes Towson, Lutherville and Parkville. He will face Councilwoman Barbara F. Bachur, who also won last night.

In the race for county executive, the former president of the Baltimore County school board won the Republican nomination and will face incumbent Dennis F. Rasmussen.

Roger B. Hayden, 45, of Baldwin, beat his two opponents, Charles P. Harbaugh and Robert T. Petr, by better than 2-1 margins.

Baltimore County Circuit Court Clerk Suzanne Mensh soundly defeated deputy clerk A. Gordon Boone III in a bitter contest for the clerk's post. During the fray, Mr. Boone sued to prevent Ms. Mensh from ending his leave in midcampaign, and she highlighted his recent drunken-driving case in radio ads.

In the 9th District, Gerry L. Brewster and Charles Culbertson won spots on the Democratic ballot along with Delegate Michael Gisriel. They were expected to face GOP Delegates John J. Bishop and Martha Klima, along with James Holechek.